The Bonds That Bind Us
by Toboe LoneWolf
Summary: The bonds that tie us together are forever. Yami and hikari, they are meant to stay that way for eternity. [Former Songfics]
1. I Will Be Here

LoneWolf16: waves Hi everybody! This is a fic to counter to all those angsty song-fics out there. I dunno what people are listening to, but sheesh they're depressing. So this is a fic that celebrates the bond between the YGO gang: yami/hikari, the fellowship of yamis/hikaris, etc. In this fic, yamis and hikaris will _always_ be together at the end. Period. Sometimes this will be AU (remember that), sometimes not. With that done… onto the fic!

//…// is a yami to a hikari; /…/ is a hikari to a yami, _italics_ are the song lyrics. (Song lyrics have been removed due to fanfiction(dot)net policy. Please go to mediaminer for full effect.)

Disclaimer: I don't own YGO or the song "I Will Be Here" by Steven Curtis Chapman.

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I Will Be Here

Seven-year old Yugi pasted his head and tiny hands against the window, frantically peering through the cold glass. Where was the sun? There wasn't a cloud in the sky, but neither was the sun. Every morning Yugi would wake up to the sun but today it was gone. Not dark, not cloudy, not rainy, but really truly _gone_. The friendly face that Yugi looked up to was hidden, or late, or maybe -- Yugi gulped -- even eaten up.

//Yugi? What is wrong?//

"Where did the sun go? I can't find it!"

//Little one, it's always there.//

"Huh?"

//The sun will come back, Yugi. It always does.//

"Okay…"

Yugi stared out the window, frosting the glass with his breath. That funny voice inside of him said the sun was still there, but…

//And even if the sun does not return, little one…I am still here.//

Yugi absently nodded, rubbing the Puzzle that hung around his neck. It was large on him; a present he had finally figured out about a year ago. Yugi liked the shiny golden color and liked to pretend it had special powers. Fingering the string around his neck, Yugi wondered if maybe his Puzzle could bring the sun back.

Then all of a sudden, the sun burst into view, emerging from behind the moon as if playing peek-a-boo with the little child. Yugi's eyes became as big as saucers.

"Oh lookit! I see it! It's over there!" Yugi jumped up and down. "I see it! I see it!"

x x x x x

Yami slumped onto the brick floor of his soul room, covering his head in his hands. _Who am I? What was I?_ Yami whispered in the darkness. He had wandered these staircases and opened countless doors to find some answer, but to no avail. Yami groaned; he was nothing, a mere wisp of memory, and even that was pitiful…

/Hey Spirit!/

Yami opened his eyes. His aibou was calling him; something that was happening more frequently. //Yes?//

/Wanna try a burger?/

//Bur…ger? What is that?//

Yugi laughed. /Food, Spirit of the Puzzle. Good stuff./

Yami paused. //I do not know…// He didn't want to intrude on his aibou's friends. He just didn't know what to do -- all right, extremely uncomfortable. They were so outspoken, so eager, so happy…and Yami was not. He wasn't even anything…

Yugi suddenly appeared before Yami. "What's wrong, spirit?"

"It's nothing." Yami turned his head. "You go and enjoy your…burger." He didn't have any right to enjoy the world; he wasn't supposed to be here. At least, he shouldn't be…

Yugi cocked his head. "Are you going to start moping again?"

"What?"

Yugi smiled and held out a hand. "Come on, it's not so bad out there. I'll be there too." Yugi winked. "Burgers from Burger Palooza are the best."

Yami stared at the small, innocent hand stretching out towards him. _I'll be there too._ Yes, that was true. He had forgotten about that. Yugi was always there, and _that_ was the reason why Yami was here. He reached up and clasped the young boy's hand. "Thank you, Yugi."

x x x x x

A small, tiny tear ran down Yugi's cheek as he held onto his grandfather's hand. Cold, unresponsive, and pale. Eyes closed and unmoving, as if in a deep sleep. But Yugi knew better. One moment he was here, and the next…

…his soul was ripped apart.

Yugi sobbed and placed his head on top of his grandfather's chest. Why did Pegasus steal his soul? Grandpa had never done anything against him, didn't even know the man. It wasn't supposed to be that way… It was like Yugi had lost part of his heart.

"Why, Grandpa? Why? Why does everybody have to leave me? Mother, father…why?"

Yami tentatively reached out towards Yugi. For a long while, he had been quiet, letting Yugi be alone in his grief. But now, the child had sat next to his grandfather for nearly an hour, crying in fear and pain. Yami couldn't bear hearing his hikari in pain… //Yugi, I am still here.//

/Spirit?/

//I will always be here, little one. I will never leave you.//

/Really?/

//Really. Though your sorrow and your joy, through wins or losses, I will be here for you. If you ever need to speak to someone, I will be there.//

Yugi rubbed his nose. "Thanks, Spirit."

x x x x x

Yugi lay flat on his bed, not wanting to get out. He just didn't want to face today; didn't want to face the darker Malik; didn't want to see another one of his friends getting hurt. Yugi didn't think he could take it anymore. Duel Monsters used to be just a fun game, but now it was life or death. And he didn't want to risk his friends' lives anymore.

//Yugi? What's wrong?//

Yugi looked down at the Puzzle within his hands. "I just don't know what to do. Malik keeps getting darker and darker with every duel. What's going to happen to us, and to our friends? What am I going to do?"

Yami appeared out of the Puzzle. "What we always do. We stick together and defeat this evil."

Yugi peered up. "But can we do it? What if we fail? What if I fail?"

Yami cocked his head. "Yugi, the future is no more known to me as it is to you. I cannot foretell the entire future; not even the Millenium Tauk can divine that. All that we can do is take this one day at a time."

"But will we get through today?"

Yami smiled. "Well get up, hikari of light. We'll just have to find out. But I'll be with you as we step ahead."

x x x x x

Yami wandered within his soul room. What would happen now? They had defeated Pegasus, they had hopefully gotten rid of the darker Malik, but now what would he do? Yami just didn't have a purpose anymore. What was the point of him being here anymore? He should have been dead long ago in Egypt.

/Yami?/

//Hmm?//

/Can we go now?/

Yami raised an eyebrow. //Go…where?//

/To fulfill our destiny, remember? Shadi said the three god cards and that tablet in the museum should unlock your destiny! Come on!/

//All right, all right…//

Yugi bounced off towards the Domino museum. Now they would finally figure out Yami's past! He smiled and walked a little faster. All of those hidden secrets would be revealed, and he'd _really_ know who Yami was…

//Yugi…are you sure you want to do this?//

Yugi stopped in his tracks. /Why not?/

Yami hesitated to answer. //Well, I don't know what's going to happen. What if this doesn't work at all? What if you get hurt?//

Yugi grinned, resuming his walk. /Awww, come on, Yami. Our friends will be there too. Nothing's bad going to happen. Besides, this is your destiny! Don't you want to know your destiny?/

Yami was quiet. Then he burst out his single fear. //What if I have to leave you?//

Yugi stopped again, in front of the museum stairs. He didn't want to think of that. Yugi had said they'd always be together, but what if, indeed, destiny had a different idea? What if Yami had to leave Yugi's life forever? Yugi shuddered. It would be like losing half of his soul…

/I…I don't know, Yami./ Yugi paused, then took a deep breath. /But…times change. Everything changes./

//I know, aibou…but sometimes, I do not want things to change.// Yami said wistfully.

/Yeah, I like things the way they are too./ Yugi sighed, leaning on the guardrails. /But Yami, even if you do…leave, I'll always remember you./

//And I, of you.//

Silence, for a while. Then Yugi spoke through their bond, making a vow.

/And if you leave, I'll always be here. Even if an earthquake shakes down the whole city, I'll still be here, if you come back. Even if a tsunami floods Domino twenty meters high, I'll be right here. Even if a blizzard covers the entire city, I'll be here, waiting. Even if I live to be a hundred years old, I'll still be living in Domino so you can find me. I promise./ Yugi declared, clenching his fist.

//And if I must leave, I promise I'll spend a lifetime trying to come back to you. No, more than that, a lifetime of lifetimes.//

Yugi smiled, looking down at the Puzzle. /That's just about forever, isn't it?/

//Just about.//

Yami took out the three god cards, staring down at them. Hard-won cards, all of them. The God of Osiris, the God of Obelisk, and the God of Ra. Each one won in a fierce duel, each one capable of leveling the earth. And the three together would unlock his destiny.

Destiny. It was a funny word. It meant that things were inevitable, that the person could not choose his own path. Yami slowly walked up to the carved stone figure of his ancient himself. So was he destined to do this, or was he making his own choice? Yami stopped in front of the stone tablet, looking for perhaps another way. But of course, there wasn't…

/Are you ready, Yami?/

//As ready as I'll ever be.// Yami held the three god cards in his hands. He paused, not acting just yet. //I just want you to know, Yugi, that if everything changes after this, you are still my hikari.//

Yugi appeared next to Yami, not wanting to be left in his soul room for what would happen in the next few moments. /I know. And you will always be mou hitori no boku to me, my other self./

Yami stared into the smooth glass incasing the stone tablet. He could see himself through the reflection, but Yugi was invisible. Yami worried for him; if he left, would Yugi become invisible again, hiding away from people and confrontation? Yami had tried to teach Yugi as much as possible, innately fearing for this day, when he might be taken away. Yami closed his eyes. There just wasn't enough time!

Yugi placed a hand on Yami's shoulders. /Yami, it's okay. I'm still here./

//But will you still be here?//

Yugi paused, gathering strength. Then he straightened up. /Yami, look at me./

Yami turned, surprised. //What is it, aibou?//

Yugi struggled to say what he meant in his heart. How can he take something from his soul and give it a visible meaning? Slowly, Yugi talked, growing momentum with each word, creating something from the hidden truths within his heart.

/Okay, so you might leave. Maybe not. Most likely we'll be changed forever and all that. But whatever happens, we'll be together, one way or the other. And if you leave, I know that you'll eventually return back to me, one way or the other. And we'll both look in the mirror and say we've both been fools to worry so much. We'll laugh and cry together again, and watch the sun set and fall, like it always does. I know it./

//Are you so sure?//

/Sure I'm sure!/ Yugi adamantly cried.

Yami smiled. //Of course. And when I return, back to the home I love best, it will be a welcoming to remember. I'll be there to watch you grow up, and I will tell you all of the things I did not have the time to say now.//

/That's right. So let's do it, shall we, mou hitori no boku?/

//Hai, aibou of hikaris.//

Yami raised the three god cards to the stone tablet, offering them in exchange for unlocking his destiny. Yes, things would change, but as he knew in his heart, things would change for the better. As the light around them grew brighter and brighter around them, swirling in magic and mystery, Yami made one last vow.

//I will be here for you, hikari of my soul.//

/And I will be right here for you, mou hitori no boku, guide of my life./

And so the Winds of Change overtook them, changing their world forever.


	2. My Place In This World

LoneWolf16: Yea, nice to know people like this stuff. waves Thanks everyone! So anyway, this chappie is a kind-of sequel of the last one. AU-ish. (Aka, Alternate Universe.) I also feel that I must excuse myself for a chapter that to me, seems to be OOC and kind of cliche-ish. Sorry, guys.

Disclaimer: I don't own YGO or the song "My Place In This World" by Michael W. Smith.   
Note: As of 4/29/05 lyrics have been removed. Go to mediaminer for songfic entirety. This is its sad skeleton.

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My Place In This World

Yami lay in the hot dry sands of Egypt, basking in heat. It was a wonder to him now; that he could finally feel and touch the real world once more.

A few, long, months ago, Yami had offered the three Egyptian god cards and had in return regained his memory and a mortal body. He knew his true name now, but he still liked the one Yugi had given him: Yami. Yes, he was now separate from Yugi, able to interact in this realm for a second time. It was something Yami had dreamed of and yet dreaded.

Yami rolled over. But what was the point of him living again? What did the gods want with him serving another life here?

x x x x x

Bakura wandered around the desert sands. He had no idea of where he was going or what he was doing. Bakura collapsed into a sand dune, weakly sinking his fist into the relentless sand.

So much had happened in that short time. So much had been lost. When that stupid Pharaoh decided to regain his memory, everything had changed. Games had been played, blood shed, and Bakura's purpose of remaining on this earth floated away. And then the Ra-cursed gods thought it would be fun to make the King of Thieves live again, when all he wanted to die.

He had lost it all. And now the gods were taunting him, making him suffer for another lifetime. He raised up his hands and screamed.

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"What is the point!"

x x x x x

Yami closed his eyes, remembering that sad day when he had left Yugi. After the separation, Yami had felt an urge to discover the meaning of the memories he had. He had to see for himself, had to walk onto the lands of Egypt once more. There must be a reason for why he was living again. It was somewhere out there, waiting, and he had to find it. Yugi, however, had to stay in school. And so Yami had left alone. The parting between him and Yugi still echoed within Yami's memory.

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"Bye, mou hitori no boku." Yugi sobbed into Yami's real, live, breathing, beating chest. Yugi knew that Yami had to leave, but he still didn't like the idea. And yet, he knew that sometimes you have to let go of the things you love best.

This was one of those times.

Yami tightened his arms around Yugi, patting his head. "Goodbye, little light. I'll be back. I just need to think for a while."

"Promise you'll come back?"

Yami smiled and looked down. "Of course I'll come back. To the home I love best."

Yugi grinned. "Right. And I'll be here. Always."

Yami ruffled Yugi's spiky hair. "That's right, little brother."

Yami smiled sadly at what he had said long ago. Little brother. That was what Yugi was to him, and yet, it was something a bit deeper than that. They were still two parts of a soul, two alike beings. One dark, one light, and the two somehow still connected.

And now, in Egypt, Yami still had not found what he was searching for. It was like Yami was always searching for something, always reaching for something just out of touch. Now, with a second life, Yami had to find a reason to live again. Why had the gods granted him another life?

x x x x x

Bakura gave up his cry of despair and took great, heaving gasps of air. Nothing. He was nothing again. Even with a mortal body, he was nothing. There just wasn't a reason to live again. Before he had revenge. That had obviously failed. So now what? Why was he here?

Bakura's mind drifted off towards Ryou. He wondered how Ryou was doing without him. Instantly Bakura berated himself for actually caring about his former vessel. He didn't need a vessel anymore, didn't need to care about his physical well-being anymore, didn't have to worry if someone would find out about the bruises and scars -- scars that Bakura inflicted -- would be found out.

Bakura snarled and slammed his fist into the hot sand. Curse that Ryou! Why did that boy have to haunt his thoughts? Why did he constantly have to think about the light-headed fool?

Except that was what Ryou was. The Light.

And for some unknown reason, Bakura still thought of Ryou that way. As his Light. As his hikari.

Slumping into the sand, Bakura wondered if maybe, by some weird, twisted, gods-cursed way, Ryou missed him. Bakura thought back to the day he had left…

Bakura was ransacking the house in one of his increasingly more frequent rages. "By Ra! I don't know why I stay here! I hate this place, I hate the people around here, and I especially hate you! 

Ryou uncurled from his protective position in the corner. "But… why?"

Bakura continued to rant. "It's all your fault! I could have defeated the pharaoh! I could have won it all! And then you_ had to intrude in my life! I think Yami had the right idea of leaving this Ra-blasted place! Why can't I just leave everything behind!"_

"Then go!" Ryou stood up and yelled. "Leave!"

Bakura stared in shock.

Ryou continued to yell, tears streaming down his face. He had hit his breaking point. "You don't care anymore! You don't have a point of staying here anymore! So if you're going to rant about it, then leave!"

Bakura glared back. "Fine! I will!" He stalked out the doorway.

Ryou yelled at Bakura's hardened shoulders. "And don't come back until you find a reason for coming back!"

Bakura opened his eyes and saw a lone hawk circle around upon the heat thermals above the hot desert sands. Alone, like him…

But maybe Ryou would help him find the reason. But how was that possible? He couldn't go back, and he wanted to go back…

Bakura got up and began trudging through the sands again. He needed something to do, and getting sand in his shoes was at least something he could do and curse at. Bakura wandered the desert again, looking for something to do. Anything to keep his mind off of the sappy stuff that he had previously been thinking about. It didn't work.

But why should Ryou even care? Bakura berated himself. Why should _he_ even care? Bakura had never done anything for Ryou. Besides, maybe this was the gods' punishment; that he should wander the earth, forever seeking and never attaining. Perhaps this was his punishment…

Bakura looked up at the night sky and whispered, "Are you still there, Ryou? Do you even remember? Do you remember the sky? Do you remember that day?"

The last words barely came out of his mouth. "Do you remember…me?"

x x x x x

Yami stared up into the sky. Maybe Yugi was looking up there too, at the same place.

Yami closed his eyes. He had wandered these desert sands like he had wandered his soulroom, never knowing the reason of existing yet again. He didn't even have a reason, except to protect and guide Yugi. But now, in a mortal body, that reason didn't exist anymore.

Wistfully, Yami whispered, "Are you there, Yugi? Are you still waiting?"

Yami traced hieroglyphics in the sand. "Where should I be? Where do I belong?" The symbol of the double crown formed itself in the sand. "Am I the Pharaoh still? Or is there something else stored for me?"

x x x x x

Bakura found his face meeting sand for the fiftieth time. Snarling, Bakura wrenched himself upright.

"That's it! I am getting out of here!"

The words struck Bakura. Out of here, great. But where?

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Home.

That too, stuck Bakura. Where in Ra's name were these sappy things coming from? The sand must be drying up his head.

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Where Ryou is.

Okay, that was it. This stupid "conscience" thing that mortal bodies had was really bugging Bakura. He was not a romantic fool thinking of home and its happy-go-lucky warmth. He was Bakura, King of Thieves!

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And the yami of Ryou.

Well, that was nice. Still, the yami of Ryou? He was mortal now, separate! Ryou had no connection whatsoever to himself!

"Mou hitori no boku."

What the heck was that? Ryou was speaking to him? In his mind? Bakura screamed at the voice inside his head.

"Get out of my head!"

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"Tomb robber?"

"What the--" The face of Yami popped up over the sand dune. Bakura's mouth dropped open. _"Pharaoh?"_

"Tomb robber, what are you doing here?" Yami asked sensibly.

Bakura kicked at the sand. "Nothing. I needed to get away from Ryou. What are _you_ doing _here?_"

Yami sighed. "I don't know. I hoped that Egypt would give me the answers but--"

"Answers to what?" Bakura interrupted. He plopped down next to Yami.

Yami fingered the Puzzle around his neck. "Why I'm here. Why I'm still living. What's the point of living. You know, the meaning of life."

x x x x x

"Wow. Deep thoughts, pharaoh." Bakura sneered. Inwardly, Bakura was in shock. Those were the exact things he had been thinking about! He shifted his seat. "What did you think it means?"

Yami shook his head. "That's just it. I don't know. I mean, I used to, but--"

"Then what did it used to mean?" Bakura ran his fingers through the sand.

Yami wistfully looked to the east. "Being the aibou of Yugi. Being his guide, his protector. Being his mou hitori no boku."

"Is that what you were muttering about?" Bakura let the sand slide through the cracks in his hands.

"Yes." Yami answered simply.

"What's wrong with that? Seems fine with me."

"But Yugi doesn't need that anymore. Besides, we're mortal now. It's not the same."

"Ever heard of bodyguards?"

Yami stared at Bakura incredulously. "Body…guards?"

Bakura shrugged. "What, the shrimp needs one. Who says you can't be one as well? And bodyguards can be lots of other things too. Teacher, guide…" He dropped his hands. "…friends."

"Ah."

"It's where you belong, anyway." Bakura remarked off-handedly. "Egypt isn't the same anymore."

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Where you belong.

The words echoed through Yami's mind. Then it suddenly struck him -- home is where Yami belonged. Home. He had to be back home, where Yugi was, and family, and his friends, and where he belonged. There he had a reason to live; there he had his newfound family. There he had a place in this world. Because it was home.

"Pharaoh? You in there?" Bakura waved his hands in front of Yami's face.

Yami shook his head. "I'm fine." Yami turned his head towards Bakura. "What about you?"

"What about me?"

Yami poked Bakura. "What's your point in life?"

Bakura rubbed the back of his neck. "Dunno. Stealing the stitches off everyone. Making everyone's life a living Hell. Revenge. You know, the works."

"The same thing, then." Yami turned over on his side to face Bakura. "And that's how it should be. Our point in life shouldn't change." Yami raised an eyebrow. "Although from your description, perhaps it should."

"Oh goodie. Elucidate me." Bakura waved dramatically.

"It's like you said. My purpose when I was just a spirit is the same as now when I'm mortal. Even the names are the same. 'Aibou' doesn't change whether you're immortal or not. I'm still Yugi's mou hitori no boku; my personality didn't change. And even 'hikari' is the same, because Yugi will always be that way, my little Light." Yami looked up at the stars. "And if those are the same, my purpose is the same -- to protect my aibou, hikari, and mou hitori no boku."

"Huh." Bakura huffed.

Yami rolled over. "It works for you too."

"What?"

"Think about it." Yami yawned. "You were a spirit too. You protected Ryou, who was _your_ aibou, _your_ hikari. You were _his_ mou hitori no boku. Granted you also had some other agendas," Bakura growled, but Yami continued, "But while those agendas failed, these stayed the same. You will always be the yami of Ryou."

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The yami of Ryou.

The words echoed through Bakura's mind. Was that true? Did that bond hold through immortality? Was that his point in life? Was he still the yami, the protector and darkness of Ryou? Somehow Bakura agreed. Especially with the darkness part. _Someone_ had to give Ryou a bit of reality now and then. And Bakura was definitely not going to let the pharaoh's pet do that!

Bakura grunted. "Whoop-de-do. Wow Pharaoh, we've found the meaning of life: to hover over little lightbulbs!"

Yami smiled. "I suppose we have."

Bakura heaved himself up from the sand and put his hands on his hips. "Well, what are we waiting for?"

Yami cocked his head. "Waiting for what?"

Bakura rolled his eyes. "To go home! How else can we protect and guide our hikaris?"

Yami's eyes brightened. Ah, home. "Yes. Let's go home."

x x x x x

And so the yamis turned their attention to the east. They had finally found a reason, inside their hearts. Back home. Back to their hikaris and their life. Back to where they had began, because that is how beginnings end.


	3. Welcome Home, Atemu

LoneWolf16: sighs Yeah. … For those that know about the manga, you understand. slouches Totally depressed. I wanted to get this out before the end, but I didn't know how it'd end. So yeah. Like this fic is about, it's about the bonds between yamis and hikaris. And how they're eternal. No matter what.

Disclaimer: I don't own YGO or the song, "Welcome Home" by Tammy Trent. Also not the quote I use. . Not saying b/c that'll ruin it. You'll know, 'cause lyrics and quote are in italics. Warning: spoilers for manga. Note: As of 4/29/05 quote and lyrics have been removed. Go to mediaminer instead.

Note: Rearranged the lyrics slightly to fit timeline of story. Also, I'm using Atem because that's how Japanese pronounce it. For those who don't know, that's Yami's real name. Originally this was supposed to be a continuation from last chapter, but after the manga, it's more like a continuation after that. What that means, to those that don't know, is that Yami aka Atem has finally gone back to heaven/afterlife, Yugi is now the sole "owner" of his body, and the Millenium Items are gone/destroyed.

Please review, I worked really hard on this; I put my heart into this one.

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Welcome Home…Atem

Yugi woke up to find tear streaks down his eyes.

Again.

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After five years, you'd think you've gotten over it, Yugi scolded himself. _That's in the past. You can't change it. He's happy now, anyway._

Yugi lurched out of bed and got ready for another day. At least he was on break now. Ah, break. A blessed thing during the college years. Yugi was currently going to Tokyo University. He still had his wild hairstyle, but he'd actually grown (much to the shock of everyone) to about the same height as Ya-- as Atem had been. Yugi's voice had also lowered, and every time he signed some autograph for some little kid as "Yugi Moto, King of Games," the kid would squeal, "Wow! You totally look like a real king!" or something like that. And every time he heard that, Yugi thought about the first King of Games…

Gah, too much thinking today. It's break. Relax. Chill. Hang ten. Dip in the Nile.

Now where had _that_ come from?

…

Okay, brooding on the past wasn't going to help. That part of his life is done.

Yugi brushed the corner of his dresser, the place where he used to put the Millenium Puzzle. He kept it clear of everything, as if he still had his Puzzle.

x x x x x

Atem had done so much for him. Yugi had definitely changed, and changed for the better. Because of Atem's constant encouragement and support, Yugi finally found legs to stand on instead of knees to fall on. He'd gotten friends, life-long ones -- friends who were now family. He'd played in the toughest duels ever and found a tough core within him. All because of his other self. Atem.

Kind of ironic to know that it all started with puzzle pieces.

Yugi still remembered it all. Maybe the rest of his friends had already set it aside for the most part, but everything was still jarringly fresh in Yugi's memory. Perhaps it was because his soul was in the game as well.

Everyone said that he was so innocent, so full of light. Ryou said that Yugi was like the perfect hikari, with some envy. That he was just so…pure, in the soul-sense.

They didn't know how much of that had come because of his other self. His other, darker self.

That was how it all came to be. They had shaped each other. Like brothers, helping and learning and all that other mushy-but-true stuff. If Yugi had to put a word to it, he'd either say friendship (to the reporters) or brotherly love (to his close friends).

Yeah, love was all that it was hyped up to be. Forever, all-powerful, transforming, and all that.

Too bad that the one he loved as a brother was gone in paradise now.

x x x x x

"Can you hear me, mou hitori no boku? Atem?" Yugi whispered. "Or are you really gone as they all say?"

Yugi slumped on his bed, holding his hands as if the Puzzle were between them. "Or maybe you're still…here, somehow. Like a guardian angel. Like you used to be, in the beginning."

Yugi thought about that. "In a very skewed way." Yugi winced. "The Ushio-deal was kind of strong, don't you think? And the teacher, and the cameraman, and well… I suppose that's all you could think of. We didn't…quite…know each other yet."

"But still…somehow…on a deeper level, we did. Maybe it's because we _are_ two souls of one. I don't know. I do know that you could have done worse. And I stopped you."

Yugi winced again. "And that hurt us both. But what else can I do? I'm just like that, and you're…the opposite. And yet, we were…are…still bonded."

"And you know what? I still believe you'll come back."

Yugi shook his head. "Gah, talking to myself…him…again." He whacked himself. "Gotta remain sane."

He pushed himself off the bed and glumly headed downstairs. He paused on the first step though, and looked back.

"I miss your voice, mou hitori no boku…"

o o o o o o o

Up in heaven, the angels were singing. They were welcoming back their newest wanderer to the fields of grace. For once all used to live here before the Separation, and after that, only some find their way back. When one returns home, it is a welcoming to be seen.

It was a homecoming like no other; a welcoming that is eternal. A welcoming back into heaven, where paradise resides, a place that is pure and boundless. But not that perpetual sugar-high happiness that some dream of. To those that return, it is pure joy.

But not for one.

o o o o o o o

Atem slowly walked through the streets. Ra, it'd been too long. He closed his eyes and breathed in the air. Ah, Domino street smells. Smoke, dust, sunshine, sweat, green grass, money…

It smelled like home.

He didn't really look where he was going. Atem simply wandered, taking in mortal life once again, ignoring the stares and whispers of passerby. Perhaps it was because of his dress; he was dressed in a simple white tunic, along with soft, flowing, white pants that covered his golden sandals and a thin gold cord around his waist. The garments seemed to glow, as if it were moonlight, and they were as soft as the clouds he once walked on. Nothing like his former Pharaoh attire or the leather he used to wear.

He found himself in front of the Kame Game Shop.

Atem stared at the doorbell. He really didn't know how much time had passed, only that it'd been years. Atem didn't even know if he lived here anymore. Sure, he'd promised…but well, like all things, time changes.

__

"I'll still be here, if you come back."

Tears began streaking the once-Pharaoh's face. He'd left, and now, because he had pleaded with the gods, he'd come back. Pleaded because of a promise he'd made. Pleaded because heaven wasn't the same without his Light. Pleaded because his heart -- the one granted to him in heaven, the one meant to feel no pain -- was being torn apart from separation.

Taking a quick, deep breath, Atem rang the doorbell.

Eternity passed in moments.

Muffled through the glass door, Atem could hear slow, thudding footsteps and then the door swung open.

Shock. Blink. Double blink.

"You're…you're…back." Yugi stuttered.

Atem smiled through his tears. "It's been a long time…aibou."

And then Atem was enveloped in a huge, open hug. All encompassing, all giving. Yugi gave his all. Just like the ones Yugi had given to him years ago. After years, Yugi was still the innocent one. Yugi rested his head on Atem's velvety shoulder, reveling in being able to touch Atem in the physical world. Yugi didn't question how it had happened or why; it was enough that it did. They stood there for a long moment, feeling two hearts beat together as one again.

Yugi lifted his hands and wiped Atem's face. "Tears, mou hitori no boku?"

x x x x x

"Hai. Tears, for you." Atem closed his eyes. "But…mou hitori no boku? Am I still that to you?"

A grin crept on Yugi's face. "Of course! Why should it change? You are always mou hitori no boku to me, and always will be. How can your soul change after death?"

Atem lowered his head. It was the same old Yugi, and yet so different. Atem sighed. "Do I even have the right to be called by that anymore?" Atem stared into wide, innocent violet eyes. "How can I, to be called the other soul of an innocent one? I am not worthy of your light, I cannot." Atem hissed and pulled away. "Yugi, I've been away for so long. I do not have the right to even be here."

Yugi grabbed his arm. "What do years matter to souls?"

Atem looked mournfully at Yugi. "They matter, because I have broken my promise-- no, my _vow_."

"What promise?" Yugi cocked his head, confused.

Atem turned away. "The promise to always be there for you."

Pause. "You never broke it." Yugi stated simply.

"How?" Atmeu took a shuddering breath.

"Because you're mou hitori no boku, and that cannot be broken." Yugi walked around so that he could see Atem's face. "And even if you think you did, I forgave you of that already."

Atem stared. That was Yugi, the forgiving, open, innocent one. He hadn't changed that over the years. After all these years, Yugi made no demands, put no blame on anyone. Even to the darkest, even the ones Atem himself had trouble trusting, Yugi would trust his life. Yugi had the right to turn them all away. And yet Yugi returned to those who hurt him. Atem smiled. Even to him.

Yugi turned Atem around. "It's been so long."

"Hai. Too long."

"Years left apart."

Atem nodded. "Years I wasted without you. Years where I lived in paradise when you still lived down here. Years wasted, because we were apart."

Yugi stared into Atem's eyes. "But now we have years together."

Atem laughed. "I searched paradise high and low for the one thing that was missing, and to think it was here all along." Atem poked Yugi's chest. "Right here in you."

Yugi clasped Atem's hand. "You mean, right here in between us."

"Welcome home, mou hitori no boku." Yugi stated simply. He spread his arms out wide. "Welcome home, to the home you always had."

Yami smiled. "Home is the place where, no matter what, they will always take you in."

Yugi continued, their own little saying. "Home -- the one thing you don't have to deserve. So welcome home, Atem. It doesn't matter how long you've been gone." Yugi whispered, his own tears running down his face. "It doesn't matter what you think, 'cause I'll always welcome you back. It doesn't matter how far you wandered or what you've done, 'cause it doesn't matter to me."

"Even if I've been in another world? Even if I've strayed for years?"

"Through eternity, I'll welcome you home." Yugi smiled. "So mou hitori no boku, can your soul change after death?"

Atem smiled wryly. "Of course not."

"So there!" Yugi was beaming now. "And if that cannot change, you are always mou hitori no boku to me!" He grabbed Atem's arm and began to drag him inside the Game Shop. "Come on in! Look around! We have to catch up on _everything_!"

"Hey Yuge! Check wanna head off to Burger World?" Joey bounded towards them, yelling from half a block away. He slid to the doorstep, grinning like fool. "I'm starving! So how about it?"

Then Joey saw just _who_ was in the doorway.

"Whaa? No way! That's-- that's--" Jaw drop.

Atem smiled at Joey's bewilderment. Same old Joey, with that same old grin, same old messy hair, same friendliness and lack of control. "Hello, Joey Wheeler."

Joey simply stood there in disbelief. "What the--"

Yugi tackled Joey and actually made Joey stumble a few steps. "See? I _told_ you! I told you he'd come back!"

Joey stuttered for a few extra moments with Yugi bouncing around him. Man, he was alive? … But still the same guy, with that same old "Game-King" smirk on his face.

Joey cracked a grin. "Hey, long time no see." Joey raised an eyebrow, looking at Atem dressed in pure white. "Though you're wearing pretty weird stuff. I thought you had a black leather-fetish or something."

"This is what they wear in heaven." Atem said simply.

Ah.

x x x x x

Practically everyone was stuffed inside the living room behind the Kame Game Shop, marveling about Atem's return. Joey, Tristan, Tea, Duke, Ryou, Grandpa, Serenity…even Kaiba and Mokuba! By some pure stroke of luck -- or perhaps it was Fate -- Malik, Isis, and Rashiid were here. Even Mai had returned, just happening to be on vacation from America. It was a huge gathering of friends, all chatting and reconnecting. Atem was sitting on the sofa, with Yugi standing behind him, leaning on the back. Everyone else was sprawled all over the place -- chairs, the opposite sofa, the table, etc, all celebrating Atem's return.

"Wow! You're like, back!" Tristan exclaimed for the third time.

Kaiba huffed in the corner. Competition, again. And he _still_ hadn't reclaimed his title after Atem's leaving!

Mokuba looked up, though not that much. He was finally beginning to grow some. "Aww, big brother, smile! The guy's been dead and gone for five years, you could at least say hi!"

Kaiba growled but put on a more presentable face as he walked over towards Atem, who was now reclining on the sofa. "Huh. Needed some more challenge? Too easy up in heaven?"

Atem smirked. Seto is Seto, no matter what timeline you're in. "If you say so."

"Welcome back, Atem." Tea said as she entered from the kitchen, holding a plate of some impromptu brownies. (All guys cheered in happiness and started eating.)

Atem smiled from the sofa. "I'm glad I'm back."

Yugi peered over him and grinned. "Yeah, me too."

Atem looked around at the spontaneous party around him. Ra, they were so…open and carefree. Serenity was hanging up streamers and Ryou was throwing confetti around, just happening to dump a great deal of it on top of Duke. Yugi had turned on the music, and Tristan was playing along on his guitar (fairly well too, that was a change from former years), making everyone grin and start singing along. Joey just finishing a dance with Mai (eye raising in itself), and Rashiid was also dancing with Isis, with some glares from Malik, of course. Even Seto was joining in on the fun, taking out some handheld hologram projectors and figuring them to do some pretty cool light shows. Mokuba was bouncing around, playing with Yugi's cat, which for some unknown reason was actually enjoying this loud, rambunctious party.

The music had turned down now, in a softer, quieter music. Joey came over with his hands smeared with chocolate. "Hey, Atem! Try some brownies!"

Atem looked at one dubiously. Yugi laughed at his uncertainly. In a mock whisper, Yugi said, "Don't worry, they're not toxic. Tea's a lot better at cooking now…"

"I heard that!"

Joey and Yugi fell in mock horror. Yugi grinned as he saw Tea walk towards them, hands on her hips and with a fake pout on her face. Yugi grabbed Tea's hands and knelt, putting on the puppy-eyes. "Aww Tea, it was just a joke…"

Tea threw her hands up. "I give up! I might as well not cook anything for you guys anymore!" She then laughed as she saw Joey's total dismay from the floor, thinking about all the food he'd miss. "I'm just kidding!"

Atem closed his eyes and laughed. Laughed like he had never before. Wide and long, rolling with the pent up happiness of three thousand years.

Everyone was caught up in this euphoria of joy, and they laughed.

Yugi stood up and held his hands wide open. "Well Atem, mou hitori no boku, welcome home. Home, to the place you do not need to deserve."

Atem nodded. "Home, to where I belong."

"Home, where there is no shame in returning." Joey added seriously.

Ryou walked over and smiled. A smile that held no hidden secret. "Home, the place where your heart remains though your body wanders."

"Home, where love resides." Isis said simply.

"Home, where there is no exile." Kaiba said into the silence. And for once, no one stared at him for saying something like that.

Atem looked around to see everyone looking back at him. Though not all had spoken, their unspoken word was enough. Atem could feel it, its pulsating warmth and comfort. It came from friends from another time, friends now in his time. Atem stood up and opened out his hands. "I thank you." He raised an eyebrow. "I suppose now would be the time to give a speech…"

Everyone chuckled; it seemed so formal in such a party. Atem chuckled as well as he shrugged his shoulders. "How shall I begin? I have lived, in some sense, for three thousand years. I have been to heaven and hell, here and back again. To which should I call home?

"To that I reply: here, in a land whose language has become mine in my dreams, among friends who are closer than blood-kin, and where the other half of my soul resides." Atem looked towards Yugi, and then nodded towards Isis and Malik. "There is something in the writ, something that says that friends can be the family one chooses, and that a man's home is where his family is."

Yugi clasped Atem's shoulders, and Atem faced Yugi again, feeling his aibou reach out with that light that hikaris are made of, a golden, pure light, accepting and embracing.

Atem smiled. "It is good to be home."

There was just one more thing.

They are, after all, hikari and yami, light and darkness, yin and yang. Made to balance and complete one another. Forever encircling, forever holding each other together in this shaky world.

Light, all embracing, filled the two like water being poured into an empty vessel. Light, that only they could see, swirling around them. Like a dance, the balance of light entered and countered the brightness, the dark ebony mixing with the white light, healing the two souls. They were cradled in the invisible powers that made them hikari and yami, counterbalancing each other, and things were restored to how they used to be.

An old stirring murmured in Yugi's mind, creaky from disuse.

//Dear Ra, I have never felt such happiness…//

__

/Mou hitori no boku?/

__

//Aibou?// Atem blinked.

Yugi giggled. /Hai, who else?/

//? How can this be? We no longer have the puzzle, we no longer share a body, how can our bond still exist?// Atem responded incredulously.

Yugi laughed, little bells chiming in Atem's mind. /How else, Yami? We are hikari and yami, and like I said, the soul cannot change after death!/

//And so it is, Hikari.// Pure wonder. Atem slowly reached through their bond once more, feeling it strengthen and grow.

Yugi could once again feel Atem's calming presence radiating from their bond. /Bet you didn't take this into consideration when you asked the gods! Tee hee, I've got a yami again!/

Atem smiled through their bond, warm pleasure flowing within the new bond. //And I, a hikari.//

Their bond was restored to all that it once was, and more. It was deeper than the bonding of two minds; it became a bonding of two souls, two lives -- a lifebond. A partnership that completes them both in the way of the hikari and yami. Yami was overwhelmed; he _knew_ what this was, _knew_ that it happened only rarely and usually in generations, who was _he_, to be part of the Balance?

Yugi didn't know what this bond really meant, what it signified. But that didn't matter. Yugi took it all in stride, accepting this gift he had been bestowed. Later, he would truly know, but not now.

Something came to Yugi's mind. /Uh oh./

//Hm?//

/If our bond is still here, then…/

//Then…//

/Does that mean that Bakura's back too?/

Pause.

//Uh oh is correct.//

"Yugi? You alright?" Ryou looked puzzledly at Yugi, white bangs covering his right eye. "You spaced out there for a moment."

"Hai! Hai! Just fine!" Yugi waved his hands.

//We'll have to watch Ryou.//

/Definitely./

x x x x x

It was midnight now, with the full moon brightly shining out the window. Atem was lying in his new bed, simply enjoying being alive. Atem turned to see Yugi snuggled under his own covers. Atem tentatively touched the bond between them and then smiled, because he knew that Yugi wasn't really sleeping.

//Aibou?//

Yugi laughed quietly and turned over, propping his head up with his hand on the pillow. /Can't fool you, mou hitori no boku./ Yugi blinked in the dim room, looking into Atem's eyes on the other side.

Warm amusement flowed through their bond. //Aibou, remember that promise I made years ago?//

Yugi nodded, and spoke without words, words that cannot be misunderstood. /Hai. That'd you'd always be there for me?/

Atem smiled through their bond and whispered ever so slightly//Promise made...//

Yugi answered the rest. /…And promise kept./

True bonds never end.


	4. Fly Away

Toboe LoneWolf: Well folks, this is it. I originally planned for this to be a bunch of vignettes, but so far they're vaguely connected to each other for some odd reason. It seems wrong to continue; that is, write something on Bakura and Ryou or Ishtar and Malik. What I'm saying is that this is the last piece, so to speak. A vague conclusion to all the Yami and Yugi bonding. The plans I had for Bakura and Ishtar I will write as one-shots.

Disclaimer: LoneWolf does not own YGO, any of the song bits, or the ever-pervasive fluffiness. XD

I've been going round and round in my mind on what song should go in the last chapter, and finally I just threw up my hands and put all of them in. Which makes for a very strange, vaguely-connected fic, but whatever. Song snippits: "Fill My Cup" by Paul Colman Trio; "Deeper Still" by Scott Krippane; "Dive" by Steven Curtis Chapman; "Open Up the Sky" by FFH; and "Fly Away" by FFH. No own, but love indeed.   
Note: As of 4/29/05 all lyrics have been removed. Please go to mediaminer instead.

So here we go. Finale. Tied forever.

* * *

****

Fly Away

Laughter echoed down the room and in the hallways and reverberated through the two souls.

Yes, this is how it should be.

Yugi laughed, and pulled Yami along. "Come on! There's still more!" Yugi flung open a door. "Look at this!"

A memory, of Yugi and Yami at Christmas time long ago, Yugi trying to throw snowballs at Yami's nonexistent body. Snow was lightly falling down, covering Domino with fluffy crystals of light. The two were laughing and smiling, feeling the joy of Christmas.

"One sided snowball fights, eh?" Yami grinned. "That was fun, aibou. Care to try it again this year?"

Yugi grinned back. "Ooohh Yami, you're going to _regret_ that. You've only had your body for three months."

"I learn quickly." Yami smirked, and grabbed Yugi's arm. "Show me more!"

More laughter and teasing. Yugi was showing Yami his soulroom, just like how Yami had shown Yugi his over a year ago.

It'd been a chance remark from Yami that led them to this.

__

"You know, aibou…I've never seen your soulroom."

"Nani?"

Yami turned off the TV. "You've been in my soulroom countless times. We both know what it's like. But I've never been in yours."

Yugi blinked. "You're right."

Yami grinned, and grabbed Yugi's hands. "Show me, hikari. Show me your soulroom."

x x x x x

Funny how Yami had never been in Yugi's soulroom. Hikari and yami, bonded forever, and yet one of them had never seen the other's true self…

Yugi's soulroom was the equal and opposite of his other self. While his darker half's soulroom was filled with shadows and dark passageways and aged stone, Yugi's was bright and filled with colors, with the innocence that was such a part of Yugi running through the place, though both of them had stairways that led everywhere. Yugi's soul was just as large as his other half.

After all, they are two in one.

Yami could never describe it. How could he have never known his aibou's soul? He known the sense of it, yes, and felt its depth…but he'd never actually walked in his hikari's soul. He walked in wonder, the sheer presence of Yugi calming his own mind, like it had done time and time again. Yugi's soul was as open and bright as he thought.

"Is there no end to your brightness, little one?" Yami murmured.

Yugi turned around, surprised. "What do you mean?"

Yami swept out an arm. "This. Your light. It…never ends. Where does it come from? Why are you so bright, hikari?"

Yugi answered with his own question. "Why are you so dark, Yami?"

Yami blinked. "Because that is what I am."

"Then there you go." Yugi smiled.

Yami smiled back, and pulled on Yugi's arm again. "Show me more, hikari. Show me the truth. Show me the depth and brightness of your soul."

x x x x x

And they ran on, deeper into Yugi's soul. Laughing and playing, remembering the happy times of long ago. While Yami's soulroom seemed to promote pondering and deep thought, Yugi's soulroom produced laughter and cheeriness. No wonder Yugi was never down for long.

Suddenly, Yugi stopped.

"What is it, Yugi?"

Yugi pointed in front of them. The hallway they'd been walking along just ended, cutting off like a cliff. But instead of simply ending in darkness, there seemed to be a sheet of light. Like a bright white backdrop that ended the hallway and opened…elsewhere. It…pulsed, its glow brightening and fading like a heartbeat.

Yami walked over and reached out a hand. He pulled it back as he felt the heat emanating from…someplace. "You've never seen this before, Yugi?"

Yugi shook his head. "What is it?"

Yami could see magic swirling around this, this endway, but unlike the shadow magic he knew, it was magic of a different kind, magic that his people associated with holy power… and somehow, what lay beyond that cliff felt familiar to Yami. Something that he'd known for a long time…ever since Yugi solved the Puzzle…

"Yugi," Yami said slowly. "Can you sense what lies down there?"

"Well, it feels familiar, but not anything that I know of." Yugi walked closer, and got down on his knees to look over the edge. Just sheer, pure white. "It doesn't feel dangerous or anything, but it's like…it's been here all this time and I knew about it but I don't know it…"

Yami closed his eyes, and felt the magic. Yes, it _was_ familiar. He had seen it before. But where…then it came to him. Yami stared at the brightness, incredulous. It couldn't be…but that was the only way…

"I think it's a entranceway to our bond."

"What!" Yugi turned around, looking up.

"You know there is a bond between us," Yami explained. "Well, apparently this…cliff…leads to it. It has the same feel; the same sense. That is why it feels familiar to both of us, though exactly what lies beyond it I do not know."

Yugi grinned. "Wanna find out?" He got up and stepped forward, looking over the edge.

Yami slowly smiled, and took Yugi's hand. "We'll never know unless we try."

The light around them pulsed, strong and steady. Taking a deep breath, holding tight onto each other's hand, they jumped off-- and dove in.

x x x x x

They fell, deeper and deeper, colors flashing and light swirling, until they lost all knowledge of _being_ and everything just _is_.

And they flew.

Flew on ephemeral wings of white, shimmering and luminous. Soaring high, twisting and looping, rejoicing in the wonder of flight. To fly on wings, lifting their souls in joy. They flew straight up, feeling wind stream back behind them, only to dive back down with wings closed, weaving and intertwining a dance in the air. Flying separately they flew as one.

Here, they _were_ Hikari and Yami, Light and Dark. _This_ is what made them that way, the bond that bound them together. A bond that ran deep and strong, forged from time beyond. Here, they were one.

And rain poured down over them, washing them clean. For a moment they stopped, and hovered, tilting back and letting the warm water run down their face.

x x x x x

Slowly everything faded away. They opened their eyes and found themselves back in the real world, snuggled against the couch.

It was raining outside, lightly tapping against the window.

No words were spoken, both of them remembering how it was to fly.

"Wow."

"Indeed."

"Did that really happen?" Yugi looked down at his hand. "Did we really fly?"

Yami chuckled. "Of course we did did. And now we know just how deep our bond truly is."

"And now you've seen my soul."

"…Think we could do that again?"

Yugi raised an eyebrow. "You had to ask?"

Yami yawned and stretched out his arms. He looked over his shoulders. "Funny. I can feel my wings, but I know they're not there…"

"That's because we flew in our minds," Yugi said sleepily. He leaned back against the sofa and curled his arms around a pillow, resting his head on its plushiness.

Yami grumbled and sat back down. "It was a nice thought," he said wistfully.

Yugi lifted his head from the pillow "We're not done yet."

"We're not?" Yami quirked an eyebrow.

Yugi laughed. "Mou hitori no boku, other half of my soul, did you truly think that it would end? There's still more to show you. Besides," Yugi turned around and looked into Yami's eyes, "We've only touched the surface. We've only just begun."

"So, there is more?" Yami whispered.

For just a moment, Yami could see wings outstretched, cupping around them both. "There is always more," Yugi whispered back.

__

Finale--


End file.
